BIOL 198 Sample Exam

Here is a sample exam, complete with explanations of the logic of the questions and answers. These questions are actually taken from tests given in previous years in BIOL 198. But this document is NOT placed here to give you something to study for, since the material for this course changes substantially from year to year. It is better for you to study the material in your text and studio manual for this year. Rather, we provide this sample exam so that you can become familiar with the format of our test questions before you are placed in the somewhat more stressful test-taking situation.

Bear in mind that we want to help you learn the material. When we test you over the material, we are not trying to torture you, or trick you, or any of those vile things that we are often accused of (see the Biology 198 FAQ for a partial list of those things). We are merely trying to see how successfully you have mastered the material, which we think is the most important part of our job here. So please keep that in mind, and it may make your progress through this course a bit more relaxing and pleasant.

It would also be a good idea to take this brief web-based test (VARK) to help you figure out HOW you learn. Do you learn best by hearing someone say something? By seeing it written down in words? By studying diagrams or pictures? By doing it yourself, or with a partner? All of these ways of learning can be useful, but most people don't have a clue about the best way for them. Take the VARK test and then look at the various studying strategies available on that website to find some that work best for each of these learning styles. In the Biology 198 studio we have opportunities to learn in lots of different ways, and we want to help you find the best way that works for you!

Here are several important things to keep in mind if you want to be a successful test-taker in this course.

The most important is, obviously, that you need to KNOW THE MATERIAL. That means you need to do the readings, come to class prepared, use your time in class wisely, and spend about 6-8 hours per week studying biology outside of class. If you do that consistently, you are going to get a good grade, no matter how evil the tests seem to your less well-prepared classmates.

The second important thing to remember is that you need to UNDERSTAND THE VOCABULARY. You may be unfamiliar with some of the terms used in your reading or in the studio material. Don't just ignore a word if you don't know its definition; that word may come back to haunt you on the tests. It is difficult if not impossible to answer a test question correctly if you don't know the language; imagine trying to take a test given in Sanskrit or Urdu, for example. So look up those words you don't know, ask your instructors for a definition, and make sure you understand the meaning of all the words that seem unfamiliar as you study. And remember that some words are used slightly differently in everyday conversation when compared to their more precise usage in a scientific context.

The third important thing is to READ THE TEST QUESTIONS CAREFULLY. Haste and careless reading are responsible for the majority of lost test points. As you can see from the examples below, the wording in these multiple-choice questions is very critical (these are not easy questions to write, by the way!). So don't rush through the questions and assume that you know the answer. Read them with the assumption (see below) that they were written to be as simple and as clear as possible, rather than with the mistaken assumption that they contain some hidden trick or mystery. Read them and re-read them. And re-read them one last time before you turn in your answer card! Don't wait until the test key is posted to smack yourself on the head and say, "Oh, I knew that!"

Fourth, if you are making the assumption that we purposefully write test questions that are tricky, you are operating on a different set of assumptions than the person writing the questions. And it should be obvious that if you are operating on a different set of assumptions than the person writing the question, it is much more likely that you will not figure out the answer that the test-writer had in mind. If you ASSUME THAT THE TEST QUESTIONS ARE WRITTEN TO TEST YOUR UNDERSTANDING OF BIOLOGY, and that they are written to be as simple as and clear as possible, your assumptions are much more in line with those of the test writer, and your ability to deduce the correct answer will be much more in line with that test writer as well. When you and the person writing the test are looking for the answer in the same way, using the same assumptions, you probably will get a better grade on the test... Just answer the questions as they are written, rather than looking for words that are not in the question, and you will be better off in the future. If a question "doesn't specify" something that you think it should specify, there is probably a good reason for that, and you should abandon the assumption that something is missing. Please. Read and answer the question written on the page, not some question which you think I should be asking instead. You won't get credit for answering a question that I didn't ask, even if you can answer it correctly! Finally, don't guess or play mind games with the answers. If someone has told you that certain answers (e.g. "none of the above") will never be a correct answer, don't believe it. That may be true in some classes and for some instructors, but you can be guaranteed that all possible answers, including "none of the above", will be a correct answer sometime during the semester. So read the questions, read the answers, and don't play games.

Finally, you will rapidly find that most questions on the exam are going to test you over MORE THAN ONE FACT. That is because the number of test questions is limited (20 - 40 per exam), and we cover a lot of material between tests. If each question tested you for a single fact, the coverage of the material would be uneven. You would legitimately be able to complain that you knew some process or concept very well, yet there was not a single question where you could apply that hard-earned knowledge. So questions are complex, and require you to know more than one thing in order to answer them. This should reinforce all three of the points mentioned above. In order to answer complex questions of this sort, you really need to know the material, understand the vocabulary, and read them very carefully.

Here is the boilerplate text that appears at the top of every test. Read it now so that you don't forget your pencil and your student ID. Don't forget your studio section number either! And PLEASE turn off your phone; leave your Palm Pilot and calculator at home.

Please turn off and stow all electronic devices; keep them off and stowed until you have left the exam room.

Before you begin the exam, make the following TWO entries to your computer answer card WITH A #2 PENCIL:

1) Look at the upper right hand corner of this page and note which version of the exam you have; darken the corresponding bubble (1, 2 or 3) in the appropriate place on the card.

2) Write your student ID number in the requested space and carefully darken the appropriate bubbles.

Since your grade will be posted on a secure website (K-State Online) soon after the test is graded, you do not need to concern yourself with filling in the bubble which grants permission to “post your score.” But please DOUBLE-CHECK your student number and version number!

Here are some questions from previous first tests, so that you can get some idea about the format, and the logical steps needed to get the right answer.

1. In the list below, which characteristic is NOT necessary in order to be classified as a living organism?

A) able to reproduce

B) more organized than its environment

C) requires oxygen

D) requires energy from its environment

E) responsive to external stimuli

You will find that BIOL 198 tests contain a large number of questions of this format ("Which of these is NOT ....", followed by a list of similar items). So if you are prepared for this type of question, you will be ready for the tests.

All organisms must reproduce, use energy, stay organized, and respond to external stimuli. All of these are characteristics of life listed in your textbook. Answer C doesn't appear in your textbook, so you should automatically be a bit suspicious of that. But don't all organisms require oxygen? NO. In fact, some are actually killed by the presence of oxygen. Organisms, as you learned in class, not only include big fuzzy things like your dog, cat or roommate, but also small gooey things like bacteria or yeast (and perhaps your roommate). Some bacteria don't need oxygen. Yeast can get by fine with, or without oxygen. You're on your own with the roommate, sorry. So the answer to this question is C, based on facts you know (the list of characteristics of life in our textbook), and supported by other facts and logic.

2. In the figure there are numbered boxes connected by arrows. In order to represent the scientific method, certain terms need to be written in the boxes. Which of the following is the correct match for the numbered boxes and the various steps in the scientific method?

A) 1 - formulation of question, 2 - experimentation, 3 hypothesis, 4 - observation, 5 - conclusion
B) 1 - observation, 2 - formulation of question, 3 - hypothesis, 4 - experimentation, 5 - theory
C) 1 - theory, 2 - formulation of question, 3 - hypothesis, 4 - experimentation, accumulation of data
D) 1 - observation, 2 - formulation of question, 3 - hypothesis, 4 - experimentation, 5 - conclusion
E) 1 - conclusion, 2 - observation 3 - hypothesis, 4 - control, 5 - formulation of question

This figure is based on a figure from a previous textbook (there is likely to be a similar one in your current textbook). The exact figure isn't important; what is important is that you understand that both the figures and the text in your book can contain information that we want you to know. Are you getting the idea that we would like you to read the textbook as well as go to class? Good! At any rate, if you read the textbook, this question should be very simple. But even if you didn't read it, or don't remember the material very well, you can use logic to go through the choices and eliminate the obviously wrong ones. You should know that typically the scientific method uses available data to generate hypotheses; experiments are performed to test the hypotheses. So some sort of DATA should be the starting point (box 1). Based on that, you should eliminate answers A, C, and E. That leaves B and D, which are very similar. At this stage you need to remember the difference between THEORY and CONCLUSION, which are the two terms that are different in answers B and D. Once again you find out that we need you to understand the definitions of the words used in this course! So if you know that many similar conclusions allow scientists to arrive at a THEORY, or that one set of observations is not nearly enough to support a THEORY, you should eliminate answer B. Thus the correct answer is D.

3) A suspension of yeast cells has an absorbance of 0.6 when measured with the spectrophotometer. When this same suspension is examined under the microscope, you count 300 cells per microscope field. If there is a linear relationship between the absorbance and the cell number in yeast suspensions, how many cells per microscope field would you expect if you examined a yeast suspension with an absorbance of 0.2?

A) 0.2 D) 600

B) 10 E) 900

C) 100

This question comes directly from an exercise that you will do in the PoB studio. Exercises that you do in the studio are fair game for exam questions, just in case you were wondering about that. And questions involving simple math (dividing or multiplying by 10, for example) are also going to show up on exams. If we ask you more complicated math questions, we will inform you ahead of time and allow you to bring a calculator just in case you feel that you need it. But this question doesn't require a calculator. An absorbance of 0.2 is one-third that of an absorbance of 0.6. That means that there will be one-third the number of yeast cells in a solution with this absorbance, compared to a solution with an absorbance of 0.6. One-third of 300 = 100. The correct answer is therefore (C).

4. Which of the following best describes a "suggested explanation that can be derived from scientific observations to direct future research?" A) Conclusion

B) Dogma

C) Experiment

D) Hypothesis

E) Theory

More definitions. Note that the bold-faced term SUGGESTED EXPLANATION is a pretty good synonym for one of the answers, i.e. HYPOTHESIS. You can also eliminate DOGMA because it was never mentioned in your book or in your studio material as a part of the scientific method. So even if you are just guessing (which is not a recommended strategy), we often give you answers so ridiculous that you are able to guess from fewer choices! Funny how nobody ever thanks us for these easy questions; they just complain about the ones that are hard... The correct answer is D.

5. The scientific name of an organism is Dendroica pennsylvanica. Another organism named Dendroica petechiae belongs to the same A) Family

B) Genus

C) Species

D) All of the above

E) A and B above

Here is a classic case where haste and careless reading will result in poor test performance. You probably knew that Dendroica is the genus name, and petechiae and pennsylvanica are species names. So the correct answer must be B, right? Well, B is correct, but it is also incomplete. If you recall the arrangement of taxonomic divisions, you will remember that organisms in the same genus are also in the same FAMILY (as well as the same ORDER, CLASS, KINGDOM etc.) So if you read a bit further down the list of choices, the real answer appears. These organisms belong to the same FAMILY and the same GENUS; the answer is E. I hope that this example reinforces the notion that you need to READ THE ENTIRE QUESTION AND ALL THE ANSWERS before you make a mark on your answer card.

Now we will switch gears a little bit. All of the above questions were taken from previous versions of the first exam, covering Module 1. Below are some questions taken from later exams, for which you probably haven't studied yet! So don't panic if you don't know the answers. Right now it isn't important for you to know these particular answers (that time will come soon enough). As noted above, the important thing is that you have some idea of the KINDS of questions asked on BIOL 198 exams, so that you will be less likely to be surprised by a question when it really counts for something. These examples were chosen to elucidate several types of questions not included in the above 5 examples, and also to reinforce some key concepts about test-taking strategies for this course. So here goes...

6. Here is a picture of a chromosome. The box labeled "A" outlines a structure called a(n)___1___; the structure labeled "B" is a(n)__2____. (blanks 1 and 2 should be filled respectively with:)

A. 1- aster, 2-chromatid
B. 1- chromatid, 2- centromere
C. 1- kinetochore, 2- chromatid
D. 1- telomere, 2- centromere
E. 1- nucleolus, 2- kinetochore

Here is an example of a question from the Cell Biology Module, which illustrates that we often expect you to label certain structures in figures taken almost directly from your text or from the computer material. Again, it is obvious that you need to know and remember very specific terms. And again, at least one answer (E) is ridiculous if you read the material or went to class; the NUCLEOLUS is a part of the NUCLEUS of a cell, and not a part of a CHROMOSOME. After eliminating that one, you are left with four choices. And unfortunately, unless you understand the DEFINITION of all of those terms, you may not get the right answer, which is B.

7. The following list contains several steps (a-d), which occur when sugar molecules are transported from leaves to roots within a plant. Which is the correct order in which these steps occur?
a. Water molecules passively diffuse into the phloem.
b. Sugar is actively transported out of the phloem.
c. Sugar is actively transported into the phloem.
d. A positive pressure potential is created in the phloem vessel.

A. abcd
B. dcba
C. cdba
D. cadb
E. dacb

Here is another type of question which you will grow to appreciate during a semester in BIOL 198. We will have discussed a process (in this case transport of materials in plants) in class; this will also be covered in the textbook. Now we are testing to see if you understand that process enough so that you can place the steps in the process in the correct sequence. So try to remember the sequences of steps in some of the major processes (photosynthesis, oxidative phosphorylation, mitosis, etc.) that we discuss in this course, because you may be called upon to place them in the correct order. In this case, the correct answer is D. Sugar is actively transported into the phloem from the leaf cells which make the sugar. This change in osmotic potential causes water to diffuse into the phloem (this concept will also be covered in Module 4), creating a positive pressure potential. At the other end of the plant, the sugar molecules are transported out of the phloem to provide nutrition for the non-photosynthetic root cells.

8. Which of the following levels of organization is NOT matched with the appropriate structure?

A. tissue : epithelium
B. organ : liver
C. tissue : nerve
D. organ : skin
E. tissue : stomach

We often ask you some matching questions, because it allows us to test over a lot of material with one question. In this case, you are asked to match specific structures with a specific level of organization (TISSUE OR ORGAN) of animals. So you need to know the levels of organization as well as the specific structures. Again, this is not a hard question if you have read the material and attended class, but it probably looks pretty hard to you right now if you haven't covered this material yet! But you don't have to panic. You probably know that the liver is an organ, and that the skin is an organ. You may not know that epithelium is a type of tissue, and that nerves are another type of tissue, so we'll go on to the final choice. You probably already knew that the stomach is an organ, not a tissue, so the answer must be E. And that would be right!

9. Oxygen and _____ exit a capillary near the arterial end; carbon dioxide and ____ enter a capillary near the venous end. (Fill in the blanks with the most appropriate choices from the list provided.)

A. venules, arterioles
B. red blood cells, white blood cells
C. red blood cells, tissue cells
D. plasma proteins, plasma proteins
E. glucose, waste molecules

Another common type of question on our exam is this one, where you need to fill in the blanks in order from a list of choices. As before, some of the answers are ridiculous. Red blood cells don't change to white blood cells or to tissue cells as they pass through capillaries, so you can eliminate answers B and C. And we won't even get started on why answer A is absurd!

You also get a clue from the information in the question (didn't we tell you to read the questions carefully?), when you note that the correct answers would be things that behave in the bloodstream in an analogous manner to oxygen and carbon dioxide, respectively. Since oxygen is needed by animal cells, and since carbon dioxide is a waste product of animal cells, you probably can figure out that some necessary nutrient should go in the first blank, and some waste product should go in the second blank. Based on that logic, you can eliminate D, leading to the conclusion that the only possible answer is E. This question is probably too easy, don't you think?

10. Asexual reproduction

A. can occur in animals.
B. does not increase the genetic variability of the population.
C. involves only one parent.
D. all of the above

Here is a question where you might know that one or two of the answers are correct, but remain unsure about a third one. And since one of the choices is "all of the above," you really need to know about that third one. If you studied the material and attended class, or even if you have only read a couple of books mentioning sexual reproduction, you will know that answers B and C are correct. But what about A? What sort of ANIMALS engage in asexual reproduction (besides your parents, of course)? Maybe you can't think of any. So maybe you would just circle answer C, even though you are pretty sure that answer B is also correct. Well, that would be a mistake. If you are reasonably sure that more than one answer is right, but unsure about another answer, it is almost always a good idea to conclude that "all of the above" is the correct answer. And in this case, you would be right. Don't agonize over trying to figure out if answer A is right. If you know that B and C are correct, just circle D in this case and go to the next question!

By the way, animals that that CAN reproduce asexually include Hydra, and some flatworms, roundworms, sponges and echinoderms. And, with significant human intervention, it seems that even sheep can be cloned, which is a form of asexual reproduction. Isn't science fun?

11) Passage of water-soluble molecules across biological membranes is restricted by the membrane structural component known as

A) lipids.
B) proteins.
C) carbohydrates.
D) nucleic acids.
E) none of the above.

Here is an example of a question which was written to be as clear and simple as possible, but was missed by a significant proportion of the class. The answer is A; lipids (including phospholipids and cholesterol) are hydrophobic and thus automatically are the only logical choice for a membrane component that can restrict passage of hydrophilic (water-soluble) molecules across membranes. But that logical and simple answer was missed by many. Why? As one student wrote, "the way that it is worded indicates that you want the answer for a membrane structural component and what you have listed as choices for the answer are the four major classes of biological polymers, not membrane structural components--therefore E is the correct answer."

This could be an example of looking for the "trick" in the question (where there is none). But actually if the answer E was correct as this student assumed, it would be a trick question! Think about it. By looking for the "trick", she mentally changed the question from a simple one to a tricky, complicated one. She changed her perspective to one that is different from that of the person who wrote the question, who wanted it to be as clear and simple as possible. And when you are not thinking along the same lines as the person who wrote the question, you probably will get it wrong.

Alternatively, it could be an example of memorization-driven blinders; memorizing the four basic biological polymers and not thinking about them in another context. This student obviously memorized the fact that there are four biological polymers. Great! But she should also know that three of the four (lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates) ARE also membrane structural components. Just because they are "biological polymers" does not mean that they automatically are excluded from any memory bin that holds the information for "membrane structural components". As noted before, memorization is not enough, and in this case, memorization of a list, in the absence of additional understanding, may have acted as a set of blinders and actually hurt the student's performance on the test.

This sample test, with explanations, is provided for your use in preparation for the tests in BIOL 198. We also provide study guides for each exam through K-State Online to students enrolled in the course. We will not be providing copies of old exams, simply because it is a waste of time to study old exams. So please don't ask me, or your studio instructors, for copies of old exams. It is possible, even likely, that you could find some old exams in fraternity or sorority files, or in your roommate's sock drawer. I'd leave them there if I were you. It is a much more profitable use of your time to study the course material, rather than look up the answers for an old exam and pretend that you have studied when you can answer them all. There is a lot of material covered in this course, and a lot of potential questions. Very few of them appear on old exams, but all of them can be answered if you work hard, learn the vocabulary, and read the questions on the exams carefully.

If you think that you need to look at old exams in order to find out "what the teacher thinks is important," well, I hate to tell you this, but I think it is all important. Pretty depressing, huh? But if you want to know what we think is important enough to put on the tests, look at the list of objectives on the first page of the studio manual for each class period. Facts and concepts found in that list of objectives are what we will be testing you over. If you know those facts and concepts, you won't need to look at any old tests. Trust me. It works.

Updated July 2012 by , BIOL 198 Course Coordinator, Fall